Wondering if anyone has recommendations on Napa & San Francisco wine shop options.
Here are the places I’ve found by searching around. Anyone have favorites?
I mainly drink California (Rhone grapes, Cab & Pinot), Rhone/CdP, Bordeaux, Barolo, Spanish & Bourbon/Rye.
Thanks in advance!
San Francisco Wine & Liquor Shop Options:
• CASK
• K&L San Francisco Store
• Blackwell’s Wines & Spirits
• CALIFORNIA WINE MERCHANT
• Fine Wines International
• San Francisco Wine Trading Company
• Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
• Napa Valley Winery Exchange
• Biondivino
• D&M Wine And Liquor Co
Well, in SF, K&L has the best deals and best selection.
In Napa, there are board members who own Napa Valley Wine & Cigar and their prices are reasonable. Calwine has been around for quite awhile and also reasonable. Bounty Hunter and Back Room Wines have their niches but both sold to new owners. When customers ask for something we don’t have, we check Calwine, Backroom Wines and Bounty Hunter in that order. You missed Cellar Collections which is another niche wine store on the reasonable side. Val’s liquors are just that, basic liquor stores. If you haven’t figured out Bevmo’s schtick yet, you could be in trouble. Safeway is next door to Bevmo, has cheaper prices on wine not displayed in stadium cut boxes and Safeway usually discounts on 6 bottles rather than charge you triple the actual retail price for one bottle so you get a second bottle for $1.00.
BevMo is a chain that sells mostly their own labels, some custom blended for them, and a smattering of more widely available wine. Overpriced in general.
I’m in SF and don’t know all these, but these are very different kinds of retailers.
SFWTC is a lovely neighborhood wine shop that has wide diversity of recent releases, good service, and excellent inexpensive tastings every Saturday & Sunday. Not the lowest prices but a lot of old school retail value.
Arlequin is similar, different neighborhood.
Biondivino is a very small neighborhood shop that specializes in Italian wine. Great tastings and service.
Dig Wines is another teensy neighborhood store that has excellent weekly tastings, specializing in Burgundy.
FWI is web only - no retail operation - but excellent selection and good prices.
Flatiron is a bigger operation with a good selection and mix of prices. Seems to focus on the downtown biz district crowd.
K&L is huge, has great prices, runs an auction business, has tastings, excellent service. Could be your ‘just about anything you need’ shop.
+2 for 750 wines in St. Helena. I think you would be best served to make an appointment as I am not sure you can walk in off of the street. David, Monica and Seb are great.
K&L Wines do not need a specification for the San Francisco store, as, if you want a wine from one of the other stores they will send it up for free. The delivery is trustworthy too.
If you consider Bay Area overall, add:
-Artisan Wine Depot, Mountain View & Los Gatos. Very low pricing and respectable assortment.
-Farmstead, Oakland. Tiny, but surprising inventory. I’ve seen Lillian and Scarecrow there at reasonable prices. Might as well get cheese while you’re there.
Thanks for all the recommendations! I’ll have to Google all these places and check them out.
A treasure trove of info, thanks! For K&L, which is better, downtown SF or Redwood location?
Added Cellar Collections, as that wasn’t on the radar.
Well aware Bevmo is similar to Total Wine in regardards to big box sell their own brands bait and switch.
I’ve found thewineclub and flatiron to both have fantastic service. I especially like the free shipping in CA on purchases over $129 from flatiron. I buy from K&L and wine house the most because they’re local but love those two sf shops.
but mostly K&L.